Social media continues to influence the way people travel. Travelzoo® Fall Travel Trends Survey* of 1,000 consumers found that “travelers are finding themselves at a crossroads of FOMO (fear of missing out) and the desire for relaxation, as they’re torn between their need to share their vacation adventures on social media and a wish to digitally disconnect while away.”

53% feel pressure to book unique or exotic vacations

47% agree that social media is driving up the need to experience more on vacation

40% feel pressure to take more adventurous vacations

34% feel a vacation is actually wasted without adventurous experiences

Of course, the survey produced some statistics that bear out differing views as well. Read more here.

Talia Salem, former content and social media manager for Brand USA, has left that post after nearly four years to work as the lead marketing and communications consultant at the World Bank on a pioneer culinary tourism project in India. “This job combines my loves of travel, food, marketing, and sustainable development,” says Talia of her new work as an independent tourism consultant on a variety of tourism-related projects. She adds, “I will continue to teach digital marketing at Georgetown University’s School of Continuing Studies and serve as DC chapter co-leader for Travel Massive.” As CEO of Urban Nomads, Talia will present a Digital Boot Camp session during the 2017 eTourism LABS in Philadelphia.

Matt Clement (Fort Worth CVB alum) has left ADARA to become the new marketing director at Arrivalist, the location analytics company which measures the way people visit places by looking at the changing locations of mobile devices following media exposures. Arrivalist recently announced they signed their 100th client.

In other agency news, ADARA has announced their traveler intelligence and holistic view of website and media effectiveness were recognized in February with the Best Advertising Solution award at the 2017 World Tourism Forum in Istanbul.​

Donna Marcou, who has been VP Leisure Sales for the Tropicana Hotel in Las Vegas for nearly seven years, is the new Business Development Director at Travelzoo based in Las Vegas.

Will increased concerns about security mean that more Americans are vacationing within the USA this year?

The Travelzoo® Spring 2017 Travel Trends Report Survey released last week indicates that US travelers are feeling more anxious about both domestic and international travel and are planning their vacations with safety and security in mind.

As a result, 60 percent of those surveyed are intending to remain in the USA for their primary vacation destination this year. Reasons cited for impacting booking choices include terrorism, anti-American sentiment, and political unrest, along with crime and personal safety.

Safety Trumps All

More than half said President Trump’s election made them more reluctant to travel abroad, while nearly half said the same thing about travel to certain parts of the USA. While affordability was an influence on travel plans, 72 percent said they would pay more for a vacation if it meant increased security.

While 50 percent agreed that a stronger dollar made some destinations more desirable in 2017, recent terrorist events in some places was top of mind. When asked which cities they considered safest for spring 2017 travel, respondents named New York City, London, and Rome. Cities considered least safe were named as Istanbul, Jerusalem, and Cairo.

Travelers Already Planning for Summer

The majority of those surveyed will book their 2017 vacations by April; more than half of all trips planned will take place in May through July. Travelzoo concludes that the idea of a tradition summer vacation is still very much alive in a year of uncertainty, with beach vacations cited as the most popular trip. Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina ranked highest as preferred destinations. One in three indicated interest in visiting Cuba in 2017.

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Simpleview, the Tucson-based provider of destination marketing technologies, has acquired Bluebridge Tourism, a market leader in mobile application engagement. Simpleview will expand their menu of digital marketing services to offer mobile applications under the brand “Visit Apps.” DMOs can integrate point of interest data, events, offers, venue information, and more into branded mobile applications. Read the press release here.

eTourism Summit co-presenter of “How Would You Present Storytelling Videos to Millennials?” Jen Winston, Creative Lead at BuzzFeed, is joining Edelman as an Associate Creative Director.

Gregg Gant is returning to Travelzoo as the Business Development Manager, based on the West Coast. He replaces Michelle Lloyd, who has moved to Ireland. Gant was Senior Travel Manager – North America for Tourism New Zealand and was previously with Miles.

The latest word from Omaha is that John Ricks, a former Colorado Office of Tourism associate director, has been offered a position at Nebraska Tourism Commission. Ricks, a veteran of the tour and travel industry, would replace Kathy McKillip, fired in May after an audit revealed that the Nebraska agency had overspent its contract with ad agency by $4.4 million over three years.

At the start of 2017, Carolann Ouellette is leaving her post as director of the Maine Office of Tourism. She becomes executive director of Maine Huts & Trails, a nonprofit that operates a system of backcountry trails and lodges in Maine’s western mountains.